Our Fitness Blog

Why You May NOT Be Losing Weight

Many of us enter into our fitness routines with a main goal of losing weight. However, we may soon find ourselves further and further away from that goal. We work out regularly, we try to eat healthier by watching and tracking what we eat and seem to put in all the extra effort to achieve our weight loss goal, but it seems to be all for naught. So, what are we doing wrong? There are many factors at play here that can affect your weight loss goals, so the answer may not be that simple. Here are a few ways that you may be unknowingly sabotaging your weight loss goals.

Consuming more than you are burning
Many of us have this idea that if we workout, then we can eat whatever we want. This could not be more untrue. The main way you lose weight with your exercise routine is by burning more than you eat. This means that you have to eat properly to fuel your workout, recover from your workout and still ensure that your caloric intake is under what you are burning. This also means that it is important to know how many calories you are truly burning. If you overestimate the number of calories you are burning, then you are bound to consume more calories than you want, which can cause you to gain weight or plateau even when you are working so hard to reach your goals.

Relying only on your new workout to lose weight
Most of us believe that by working out we should automatically lose weight. However, the cold hard truth is that exercise alone will not get you to where you want to be. It is a good starting point that will give your body multiple benefits, but as weight loss routines go, exercise will not cut it alone. I am sure you have all heard the saying that you cannot out exercise a bad diet. This saying is true. You can burn roughly 500 calories working out at 9Round for thirty minutes but ruin it all by going out to eat afterward. Many fast food or casual dining restaurant meals can be in the thousands when it comes to calories. This means that all the hard work you just put into your workout was for nothing.

Your diet may not be as healthy as you think
If you think that by watching your calories alone means that you are eating healthier, you could not be more wrong. It is important to know your caloric intake, but you also need a well rounded diet that consists of certain vitamins and nutrients to achieve a truly healthy diet. It can be extremely difficult for us to keep track of what we eat and know beyond a shadow of a doubt that we are truly getting everything we need out of our diets. That is why so many celebrities and professionals hire nutritionists. These people know how to supplement our diets to get the results that we want, which is why many gyms, like 9Round, are giving their members the added benefit of meal planning and nutritional help. It is important to know our diets are working for us and to never assume that we are eating healthy solely because our caloric intake is down.

Your fitness routine is not complete
Many of us walk into the gym without knowing what to do, so we mindlessly jump onto machines that we assume will do all the work. Some of us hit the treadmill, elliptical or the bike and stay their until our workouts are over. Others may find themselves at the weight machines lifting to their hearts content. However, this type of routine may not be giving you the results that you want. You need to incorporate different types of exercise into your routine to get the best results. Try a routine that includes a combination of interval training, cardio, strength training and stretching to get the best results. Remember to have fun and regularly mix it up to keep you coming back for more.

Stay consistent
You can not expect to start a new workout routine and see results in a week. You have to stick with it. You should always allow yourself some down time to rest but do not let yourself go too far. After a day or two of downtime, make yourself get back into the gym. And, always keep an eye on what you are eating. You do not want to get too carried away with your cheat days, or you may notice those pounds creeping back up on you. The best thing to remember is that if you do find yourself going off track, correct the situation immediately but do not be too hard on yourself. Everyone experiences these little hiccups on their weight loss journey. You just have to dust yourself off and keep moving forward.

You focus on the scale too much
Most of us are solely focusing on that number on the scale. Why are we so concerned with what it has to say? If we could get away from the pull of the scale, we may begin to see the numerous other benefits we are achieving. Remember there is more out there than that number. Exercise has many benefits, such as improving our coordination, speed, endurance and flexibility. We may be achieving a better night's sleep, feeling better about ourselves or having that little extra pep in our step. It is also important to note that you may be losing inches and dropping dress sizes without seeing the scale move, so pick your head up and try to see more than that little number.

I know that it can be hard trying to lose weight and frustrating when you are putting in all this time and effort and not seeing the results that you want. However, you have to be sure that everything you are doing is working for you and not against you. It is easy for us to sabotage our workouts and not even know it, so before you throw it all away and give up, do some research or ask for help. You could find yourself back on track in no time.